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The Erin O'Reilly Mysteries #20
White Lightning
You can't stop what you can't see
Detective Erin O’Reilly is used to people trying to kill her. She’s carefully established a false identity as a killer for the Mob, while secretly working to bring it down from within. She thinks she knows where the danger is. But now a fiendishly clever assassin is stalking the streets, targeting New York’s judges. His weapons are lethal traps, designed to kill without warning and look like freak accidents.
With one judge dead and another’s life on the line, Erin and the rest of the Major Crimes squad race against time to track down a faceless, implacable murderer. To make matters worse, the mob war started by slick Mafioso Vinnie “The Oil Man” isn’t over yet. Nobody holds onto a vendetta like the Mafia, and the blood hasn’t stopped flowing.
It’s an electrifying case for Erin and her trusty K-9 Rolf as old enemies surface and loyalties clash, setting the stage for a shocking showdown in Manhattan’s halls of justice.
Detective Erin O’Reilly is used to people trying to kill her. She’s carefully established a false identity as a killer for the Mob, while secretly working to bring it down from within. She thinks she knows where the danger is. But now a fiendishly clever assassin is stalking the streets, targeting New York’s judges. His weapons are lethal traps, designed to kill without warning and look like freak accidents.
With one judge dead and another’s life on the line, Erin and the rest of the Major Crimes squad race against time to track down a faceless, implacable murderer. To make matters worse, the mob war started by slick Mafioso Vinnie “The Oil Man” isn’t over yet. Nobody holds onto a vendetta like the Mafia, and the blood hasn’t stopped flowing.
It’s an electrifying case for Erin and her trusty K-9 Rolf as old enemies surface and loyalties clash, setting the stage for a shocking showdown in Manhattan’s halls of justice.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2023
About the author
Steven Henry
37 books83 followersSteven Henry is the USA Today bestselling author of the Erin O’Reilly mysteries and the Clarion Chronicles.
Steven learned how to read almost before he learned how to walk. Ever since he began reading stories, he wanted to put his own on the page. He lives a very quiet and ordinary life in Minnesota with his wife and dog.
Steven learned how to read almost before he learned how to walk. Ever since he began reading stories, he wanted to put his own on the page. He lives a very quiet and ordinary life in Minnesota with his wife and dog.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 1, 2026
This book was quite the ride and was the first book to genuinely catch me off guard. I am not talking about who was behind the crime or anything like that but more to a plot twist I didn't see coming. At the very end of this book Alife actually kills Vinnie which I didn't see coming at all. I figured the guy would be around at least until the undercover assignment came to close. Particularly since the point is made repeatedly that Vinnie is slippery. Judge Ferris was hysterical in this book, and I liked exploring his character more. It was also interesting seeing Erin grapple with her moral compass. I like getting the few tid bits of Erin's childhood she gives us as I really enjoy the O'Reilly family. The very ending of the book that involved Erin's call with her father I found too funny. I love when Sean's character pops up. Although I haven't brought it up before I really love Rolf's inner monologue. It is a fine line between making him a actual part of the story and still keeping him a dog. Henry does this really well. Every thought he has and what he understands I do feel like it is believable if we had a way to actually understand a dog's inner thoughts. I saw something similar in another book but that is in the dog's POV. This series doesn't do that instead it feels more like Erin and Rolf are actually communicating with each in a believable way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2023
Just how does Erin, Rolf and Vic keep getting into all these messes?! And then they get it all resolved in an intelligent (sometimes crazy and quite surprising) way. The book starts with action and ends with action and the middle is action. Busy detectives saving lives and kicking behinds and taking down the bad guys throughout the whole story. As ever, Mr. Henry handles it all with finesse, police humor and smart detecting. Oh, and I still think Rolf is my favorite.
June 29, 2023
Great read!
I love these Erin O’Reilly stories! Vic cracks me up! Erin could be a great criminal if she wasn’t such a good cop! Good prevails. Crooks caught. And Rolf gets his Kong! I hope this series goes on for years!
I love these Erin O’Reilly stories! Vic cracks me up! Erin could be a great criminal if she wasn’t such a good cop! Good prevails. Crooks caught. And Rolf gets his Kong! I hope this series goes on for years!
July 1, 2023
Crooks, gangs and murder
Another fantastic day in the life of Detective Erin O'Reilly. With twists and turns more excitement for a police detective. This series of stories leaves you always wanting more
I can't wait for Corley to return to the fold.
Another fantastic day in the life of Detective Erin O'Reilly. With twists and turns more excitement for a police detective. This series of stories leaves you always wanting more
I can't wait for Corley to return to the fold.
July 7, 2023
Another Winner!!
Say to go Mr. Henry! We can always count on you to come up with a fast paced action thrilling story! Keeping us on the edge of our seats. Your characters are larger than life and easy to relate to. I can't wait for the next book!!!
Say to go Mr. Henry! We can always count on you to come up with a fast paced action thrilling story! Keeping us on the edge of our seats. Your characters are larger than life and easy to relate to. I can't wait for the next book!!!
October 17, 2023
Exciting, suspense filled.
Quality writing , didn't want to put it down. Ending superb! Really enjoy the series, looking forward to next one.
Quality writing , didn't want to put it down. Ending superb! Really enjoy the series, looking forward to next one.
October 20, 2024
I can't wait for the next one in this series. Each one is spectacular.
September 26, 2023
A Twist of an Ending That's Totally Unexpected!
by Barbara Kelley
"White Lightning" is Book 20 of The Erin O'Reilly Mysteries series, written by my favorite author, Steven Henry. As always, I love Erin, Vic, and Rolf, especially Rolf (Erin's German Shepherd K-9 partner. I also love Erin's boo, her 50+ year old Irish "boyfriend" who Erin's living with. I also love Ian Thompson, Carlyle's former Marine bodyguard who is still haunted by events that happened when he was in the military in the Middle East. This episode still has the ongoing storyline of Gabriel Vitelli, Angel Face, who supposedly murdered his pregnant girlfriend several months ago and is awaiting trial; he is not in prison because the star witness was in a fake car bombing, which that storyline confined in "Tequila Sunrise" and also in Book 19, "Italian Stallion". " White Lightning" continues with certain different storylines from the previous three books. Somebody has hired a hit man to murder Judge Ferris an 80+ year old judge who has several upcoming cases. Somebody wants Judge Ferris dead so that Judge Barberis, a judge who might be influenced by the Mob, can preside over the trial. But, which trial? The first attempt kills a judge, but not Ferris. Ferris's protege, Judge Miranda Rodriguez, is killed instead by electricity. The second attempt is a bomb at the courthouse. The third time is once again at his house where the first attempt took place. Erin, Vic and Rolf save Judge Ferris several times. Who wants him dead and why? Another upcoming trial date is coming up with Alfredo "Alfie" Madonna, the young man, barely out of his teens, who wants revenge against the man who murdered his father. Then, since most of the mobsters, including the Irish, Italians, and just about all the other families believe Erin is a bad cop, willing to do bad stuff for a price, one of the bosses asks Erin to make sure certain trial witnesses don't testify. Vic is a hero in this episode, when he pulls a fetal position move over a grenade, in order to save everybody in sight. Rolf is a super hero in this episode, with a high diving plunge off a theater balcony, because he won't let go of the bad guy's arm even while flying through the air, because he didn't hear Erin give the release command.But the biggest surprise of all, and oh so totally unexpected, is what happens at one of the trial summons. This book was a solid, actions packed thrill ride that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the very end. Another great part of this book is Erin's growing doubts about what's wrong and right with the justice system, who she can and cannot trust with her life and the lives of those around her, and what she is willing to do to protect the people she loves. I gave this book 5 stars, and recommend it to all readers who love good cops and the equally outstanding K-9 partners. I will buy and read "Kamikaze" when it comes out on September 25th.
by Barbara Kelley
"White Lightning" is Book 20 of The Erin O'Reilly Mysteries series, written by my favorite author, Steven Henry. As always, I love Erin, Vic, and Rolf, especially Rolf (Erin's German Shepherd K-9 partner. I also love Erin's boo, her 50+ year old Irish "boyfriend" who Erin's living with. I also love Ian Thompson, Carlyle's former Marine bodyguard who is still haunted by events that happened when he was in the military in the Middle East. This episode still has the ongoing storyline of Gabriel Vitelli, Angel Face, who supposedly murdered his pregnant girlfriend several months ago and is awaiting trial; he is not in prison because the star witness was in a fake car bombing, which that storyline confined in "Tequila Sunrise" and also in Book 19, "Italian Stallion". " White Lightning" continues with certain different storylines from the previous three books. Somebody has hired a hit man to murder Judge Ferris an 80+ year old judge who has several upcoming cases. Somebody wants Judge Ferris dead so that Judge Barberis, a judge who might be influenced by the Mob, can preside over the trial. But, which trial? The first attempt kills a judge, but not Ferris. Ferris's protege, Judge Miranda Rodriguez, is killed instead by electricity. The second attempt is a bomb at the courthouse. The third time is once again at his house where the first attempt took place. Erin, Vic and Rolf save Judge Ferris several times. Who wants him dead and why? Another upcoming trial date is coming up with Alfredo "Alfie" Madonna, the young man, barely out of his teens, who wants revenge against the man who murdered his father. Then, since most of the mobsters, including the Irish, Italians, and just about all the other families believe Erin is a bad cop, willing to do bad stuff for a price, one of the bosses asks Erin to make sure certain trial witnesses don't testify. Vic is a hero in this episode, when he pulls a fetal position move over a grenade, in order to save everybody in sight. Rolf is a super hero in this episode, with a high diving plunge off a theater balcony, because he won't let go of the bad guy's arm even while flying through the air, because he didn't hear Erin give the release command.But the biggest surprise of all, and oh so totally unexpected, is what happens at one of the trial summons. This book was a solid, actions packed thrill ride that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the very end. Another great part of this book is Erin's growing doubts about what's wrong and right with the justice system, who she can and cannot trust with her life and the lives of those around her, and what she is willing to do to protect the people she loves. I gave this book 5 stars, and recommend it to all readers who love good cops and the equally outstanding K-9 partners. I will buy and read "Kamikaze" when it comes out on September 25th.
December 24, 2024
Judge Ferris, whom we have never met, just know via conversations, is an old, honest and feisty judge who can always be trusted to signed Erin's warrants. In this book, we finally meet him. Erin and Vic arrive at the judge's home to get him to sign a warrant, and they discover he has a visitor. A lovely aged 40-something woman who is a lawyer. The judge had been her mentor. Vic wonders if something is going on between them, but that's the way Vic thinks. The woman excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and then she cries out and falls to the floor.
Having now spent an entire book with the judge, I would love to see more of him. The title of the book is from the judge--he makes moonshine in his basement.
There are two shocking deaths and a very persistent bomb builder. Action is, as always, fast and exciting. After 20 books, Steven Henry still keeps my heart pounding!
PS We are still in limbo about Teresa and Corky after the mini novel Tequela Sunrise.
Having now spent an entire book with the judge, I would love to see more of him. The title of the book is from the judge--he makes moonshine in his basement.
There are two shocking deaths and a very persistent bomb builder. Action is, as always, fast and exciting. After 20 books, Steven Henry still keeps my heart pounding!
PS We are still in limbo about Teresa and Corky after the mini novel Tequela Sunrise.
August 30, 2025
Always enjoy “helping” Erin, Rolf and Vic on a new case!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews